Your energy bill

Find out more about how our costs form part of your household energy bill and what you get for your money

Your energy bill

Find out more about how our costs form part of your household energy bill and what you get for your money

Electricity System Operator

We operate the electricity system in real time, we ensure that supply and demand is balanced 24/7 and that accurate market information is available to all market participants. The cost of the Electricity System Operator is approximately £1 on average for each householder. In addition, the cost of balancing the system, which we manage and pass through to our customers, is £7 on average per household.

Electricity Transmission

(excluding Electricity System Operator)

On the electricity network, we deliver 99.99996% reliability. We do this by managing, maintaining, replacing, upgrading and protecting approximately 7,200 kilometres (4,474 miles) of overhead lines, 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) of underground cables and 342 substations. We are also connecting more and more new sources of energy onto our network every year while also ensuring that the system is safe from external threats like cyber attacks. On average our electricity transmission network costs each household £25 a year. For details of the methodology we use to calculate our impact on household bills, please click here.

Gas Transmission Owner and System Operator

On the gas network, we deliver 99.97500% reliability. We do this by managing, maintaining replacing, upgrading and protecting approximately 7,660 kilometres (4,760 miles) of high-pressure pipe and 618 above-ground installations. Our gas business also operates the gas network and ensures the system remains balanced. On average the gas network costs the average householder about £9 a year.

Average annual gas and electricity fuel bill

We keep the energy flowing to millions of homes and businesses so that every time you flick a light switch or turn on your heating, you can take for granted that the energy will be there. Our costs currently make up around £35 (or about 3%) of the average annual household dual fuel bill.

* Note

*We use Ofgem’s methodology to report the impact of our charges. The figures quoted are based on 2016/2017.